The present invention relates to a moving picture retrieving and administrating apparatus and a related network system, enabling the users to perform the playback of moving pictures (or videos, or dynamic images) according to various search purposes and also facilitating the retrieving operation in finding out a desired moving picture from video data or database.
Various storing media, such as video tapes, magnetic disks, optical disks, video CDs, DVDs, and hard disks, are conventionally used to store picture images. The picture images stored in these storing media can be played back by using a moving picture playback apparatus or a personal computer.
For example, the Unexamined Japanese Patent publication No. 9-247602 discloses a moving picture retrieving apparatus which allows each user to select his/her favorite title in retrieving the video data and displays a plurality of screens corresponding to the selected title in response to a user""s selection of the title.
FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a conventional moving picture retrieving system. A data storing section 1501, corresponding to the above hard disk, stores genre selecting screen information 1511, video title selecting screen information 1512, and various video files 1513 in advance. A playback section 1502, functionally equivalent to a conventional playback board, decodes and plays a video file consisting of compressed moving pictures read from the data storing section 1501. The playback section 1502 sends the decoded video data to a display data buffer 1507.
A control section 1503, constituted by a CPU or a comparable device, is functionally equivalent to the personal computer storing the software. A screen display section 1504 displays the genre selecting screen information 1511, the video title selecting screen information 1512, and the various video files 1513 stored in the data storing section 1501, as well as various control buttons. An operator""s input section 1505 is functionally equivalent to the pointing device, such as a keyboard, a mouse or the like.
A retrieval processing section 1506 is responsive to a video retrieving command entered by a user through the operator""s input section 1505, and fetches a designated video image file among the various video files 1513 stored in the data storing section 1501 to search a video scene according to the later described time search or scene search method. The retrieval processing section 1506 sends the retrieved video screen information to a playback section 1502, and sends the information relevant to the retrieved video screen, such as time code, to the display data buffer 1507. The display data buffer 1507 temporarily stores the data displayed on a screen of the screen display section 1504.
FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the operation of the conventional moving picture retrieving apparatus of FIG. 15.
The data storing section 1501 stores the video data which are compression coded and classified into a plurality of genres according to their contents (step 1601). Upon starting of an application software of this system activated by the user, the control section 1503 causes the data storing section 1501 to send the genre selecting screen information 1511 to the display data buffer 1507. As a result, the screen display section 1504 displays a genre selecting screen (step 1602). Then, the user selects one of the displayed genre names on the genre selecting screen by using the pointing device (step 1603).
Then, the video title selecting screen information 1512 is read out from the data storing section 1501. FIG. 17 shows a video title selecting screen displayed by the screen display section 1504. The video title selecting screen of FIG. 17 includes a plurality of representative screen images each corresponding to a head screen image of video data. Reference numeral 1701 represents a video title, and reference numeral 1702 represents the total time of each video data (step 1604).
The user selects one of the displayed video titles on the video title selecting screen by using the pointing device (step 1605).
In response to the user""s input, the retrieval processing section 1506 starts the retrieving operation. More specifically, the retrieving screen is displayed. The buttons for allowing the user to selectively designate the time search and the scene search are also displayed (step 1606). The user selects either the time search or the scene search. The retrieval processing section 1506 performs the search selected by the user. FIG. 18 shows the search result displayed on the screen of the screen display section 1504. (step 1607). In FIG. 18, reference numeral 1801 represents the time code.
According to the time search, the video data is retrieved at designated time intervals and the retrieved screen image and its time code are displayed for each designated time interval.
According to the scene search, a scene change point (i.e., a cut point) is detected and a representative screen image and its time code are displayed for each detected scene. Preferably, the representative screen image is a head screen image of each scene. For example, the Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 10-294923 discloses a technique relating to the scene change detecting method.
When the user operates the pointing device to designate the retrieved screen image or time code to select the playback (YES in step 1608), the video file selected in the step 1605 is transmitted from the data storing section 1501 to the playback section 1502. The playback section 1502 decodes the video data of the designated video file which are stored in a compressed condition. Moving pictures starting from the retrieved screen (i.e., representative frame of screen) selected in the step 1608 are stored in the display data buffer 1507. Then, the playback operation is performed to display the moving pictures stored in the display data buffer 1507 (step 1609).
It is then checked weather the user wants to continue the playback operation, i.e., whether the user desires to additionally play the video data of another video title (step 1610). When the continuation of the playback operation is required (YES in FIG. 1610), the above-described processing starting from step 1602 is repeated. Otherwise, the retrieval processing is terminated.
According to the above-described moving picture retrieving system, a plurality of representative screen images of video data corresponding to the video title selected by the user are automatically displayed and then the video data starting from the user""s selected screen image is played. However, the user does not always want to watch the continuous or consecutive scenes which are serial on time base. If the user wants to play only his/her favorite scenes, it is necessary to pick up each of such scenes which are usually positioned at different portions of the video data. Performing the retrieving operation repetitively for detecting the head screen image of each scene is time-consuming and troublesome. It may be possible to construct new video data by connecting only the necessary scenes selected from the video data. In this case, a large capacity video data storage will be required.
Furthermore, the above-described conventional retrieving system requires the user to designate his/her favorite scene by selecting one of the displayed representative screen images without confirming the movement of a displayed objective or without knowing the contents of accompanying voice or sound. Thus, the user is usually forced to partly play some candidate scenes to check whether or not each candidate scene is the user""s really requested scene.
If the user can easily remember the story or detailed contents of the video data by simply checking each representative screen image, the above-described conventional retrieving system will work properly. However, a long time may elapse since the last search of the video data has been done. In such a case, it is difficult for the user to clearly remember the story or detailed contents of the video data by simply checking each representative screen image. Thus, the user is forced to partly play some candidate scenes to identify the user""s really requesting scene.
Similarly, in a case where the user performs the retrieving operation on the video data arranged or edited by someone else, the retrieving operation becomes time-consuming and troublesome.
An object of the present invention is to provide a moving picture administrating apparatus capable of easily realizing an effective playback operation which plays only necessary portions of the video data.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a moving picture administrating apparatus capable of improving the efficiency in the repetitive search operations for similar purposes, such as playback of a same video tape.
In order to accomplish this and other related objects, the present invention provides a first moving picture administrating apparatus, according to which an index producing means is provided for segmenting video data into a plurality of scenes, and producing at least one index being edited as an assembly of section information required in a playback of each scene, scene number, and representative frame, and then adding a title to each index according to search purpose. A data storing means is provided for storing the video data, the index, and the title. And, a retrieving means is provided for retrieving a desired index according to the title and successively playing scenes of the retrieved index in order of scene number.
Moreover, the present invention provides a moving picture administrating system, according to which an index producing client is provided for segmenting video data into a plurality of scenes, and producing at least one index being edited as an assembly of section information required in a playback of each scene, scene number, and representative frame, and then adding a title to each index according to search purpose. A server is provided for storing the video data, the index, and the title. At least one retrieving client is provided for retrieving a desired index according to the title and successively playing scenes of the retrieved index in order of scene number. And, a network is provided for connecting the server, the index producing client, and the retrieving client.
Moreover, the present invention provides a second moving picture administrating apparatus, according to which a video data storing means is provided for storing video data. A scene producing means is provided for segmenting the video data stored in the video data storing means into a plurality of scenes, giving a scene number to each of the segmented scenes, and selecting a representative frame. An index storing means is provided for storing at least one index being edited as an assembly of section information required in a playback of each scene, the scene number, and the representative frame which are produced by the scene producing means. An index editing means is provided for editing the index stored in the index storing means to produce a new index. A title adding means is provided for adding a title to each index stored in the index storing means. And, a playback means is provided for successively playing scenes in order of the scene number so that the playback starts with one of scenes of the index.
Preferably, in the second moving picture administrating apparatus, the index storing means comprises at least one file for storing indices, and a database means is provided for administrating and retrieving file names of the indices and the titles added to respective indices.
Preferably, the second moving picture administrating apparatus further comprises a keyword adding means for giving keywords to the indices stored in the index storing means. In this case, the index storing means comprises at least one file for storing the indices, and a database means is provided for administrating and retrieving file names of the indices and the keywords added to the indices.
Preferably, the second moving picture administrating apparatus further comprises a title display means for displaying the titles of the indices stored in the index storing means. In this case, the titles displayed by the title display means satisfy given retrieval conditions.
Preferably, in the second moving picture administrating apparatus, the editing performed by the index editing means includes at least one operation selected from the group consisting of the change of scene number, division of scene, joint of scenes, deletion of scene, and change of the representative frame.
Preferably, the second moving picture administrating apparatus further comprises a title selecting means for selecting one of titles given by the title adding means, and an index display means for displaying representative frames which are selected beforehand as corresponding to the index having the title selected by the title selecting means.
Preferably, the second moving picture administrating apparatus further comprises a character string display means for collecting character strings to be displayed on a screen by retrieving the video data stored in the video data storing means and for displaying a list of obtained character strings.
Preferably, the second moving picture administrating apparatus further comprises a caption frame detecting means for retrieving the video data stored in the video data storing means to detect a caption frame containing a character string, a character recognizing means for recognizing a character string contained in each caption frame, and a character string display means for displaying a list of character strings recognized by the character recognizing means.
Moreover, the present invention provides a third moving picture administrating apparatus, according to which a video data storing means is provided for storing video data. A scene producing means is provided for segmenting the video data stored in the video data storing means into a plurality of scenes, giving a scene number to each of the segmented scenes, and selecting a representative frame of scene. An index storing means is provided for storing at least one index being edited as an assembly of section information required in a playback of each scene, the scene number, and the representative frame which are produced by the scene producing means. An index editing means is provided for editing the index stored in the index storing means to produce a new index. A marker means is provided for selecting one of scene numbers of the indices stored in the index storing means and for adding a title to the selected scene number. And, a playback means is provided for successively playing scenes of the index in order of the scene number so that the playback starts with the scene number of the index corresponding to the title given by the marker means.